Aster plant named ‘Yoshout’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aster  plant named ‘Yoshout’, characterized by its uniform, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering habit; natural flowering season mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere; daisy-type inflorescences with violet-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Aster hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yoshout’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Asterplant, botanically known as Aster hybrida and hereinafter referred to bythe name ‘Yoshout’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Astercultivars with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strongbranching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable and unique floretcolors, uniform flowering response and good garden performance.

The new Aster originated from an open-pollination in February, 2002, inAlva, Fla. of an unnamed Aster hybrida seedling selection, not patented,as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown Aster hybrida seedlingselection, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster was discoveredand selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment Alva,Fla. during the fall of 2002. The selection of this plant was based onits uniform plant growth habit, vigor, desirable floret color andpostproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster by vegetative tip cuttings wasfirst conducted in Alva, Fla. in January, 2003. Asexual reproduction bycuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Aster are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yoshout have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Yoshout’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Yoshout’ as a new and distinct potted Astercultivar:

-   -   1. Uniform, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Uniform flowering habit.    -   5. Natural flowering season mid-September in the Northern        Hemisphere.    -   6. Daisy-type inflorescences with violet-colored ray florets.    -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Aster differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster flower several days later than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Aster and the female parent selection        differ in ray floret color as plants of the female parent        selection have lavender-colored ray florets.    -   3. Plants of the new Aster have longer lasting inflorescences        than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the Aster cultivarYomelody, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,822. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Aster differedfrom plants of the cultivar Yomelody in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were more rounded than plants of the        cultivar Yomelody.    -   2. Plants of the new Aster flowered later than plants of the        cultivar Yomelody.    -   3. Plants of the new Aster and the cultivar Yomelody differed in        ray floret coloration.    -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Aster resisted fading better        than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Yomelody.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of the Aster cultivarThyra Viking, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,361. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Aster differedfrom plants of the cultivar Thyra Viking in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were larger, more uniform and more        mounding than plants of the cultivar Thyra Viking.    -   2. Plants of the new Aster flowered later than plants of the        cultivar Thyra Viking.    -   3. Plants of the new Aster and the cultivar Thyra Viking        differed in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Aster. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Aster.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of three typical flowering plants of ‘Yoshout’ grown in acontainer.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Yoshout’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the spring and early summer inAlva, Fla. in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse and under conditionsand practices which approximate those generally used in commercialpotted Aster production. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures averaged 29° C. and night temperatures averaged 21° C.Three unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-containers, exposed tolong day/short night conditions, and pinched about three weeks later.About two weeks after the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long nighttreatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and for thedescription were about ten to twelve weeks old. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significant are used.

-   Botanical classification: Aster hybrida cultivar Yoshout.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed Aster hybrida seedling            selection, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown Aster hybrida seedling            selection, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at temperatures of            about 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 16 to 18 days at            temperatures of about 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Aster; upright with            lateral branches outwardly spreading; inverted triangle with            uniformly mounded crown. Strong and freely branching growth            habit with lateral branches potentially developing at every            node; dense and full plants. Vigorous plant growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.        -   Plant width, single plant.—About 18 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About            2.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 5.8 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:            147A; venation, 147B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,            lower surface: More grey than 147A; venation, more grey than            147A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with            ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged            acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences slightly            fragrant.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower            in early September in the Northern Hemisphere. Plants flower            within about 37 days when inflorescence initiation and            development is induced artificially under short day/long            night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness).            Inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about            four to five open inflorescences per lateral stem.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 85A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.5 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.3 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.2 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 1.2 cm. Receptacle height: About 7 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Ligulate. Orientation: Initially            upright, then about 90° from vertical or perpendicular to            peduncle; apices reflexing. Length: About 1.7 cm. Width:            About 3 mm. Apex: Broadly acute to nearly rounded. Base:            Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 40 arranged in about two whorls. Color:            When opening, upper surface: Slightly more blue than 85A.            When opening, lower surface: Close to 85B. Fully opened,            upper surface: Close to 86D. Fully opened, lower surface:            Close to 85B.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About            1.1 cm. Width, apex: About 2 mm. Width, base: Less than            1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 52.            Color: Immature: 145A. Mature: Apex and mid-section: 145C.            Base: 157D.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence:            About 26. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: 137A.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 2.3 cm.            Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle: Erect to curving upright.            Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: 147A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: Less than 1 mm.            Anther color: 12B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 12B.            Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil            length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color:            157B. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color: 157A. Ovary            color: 157A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Asters has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to be    rain and wind tolerant and to tolerate temperatures from 0° C. to    about 38° C.

1. A new and distinct Aster plant named ‘Yoshout’ as illustrated anddescribed.